BT Broadband BOOST: Wifi update introduces amazing new features - even for Sky and Virgin

BT Broadband BOOST: Wifi update introduces amazing new features - even for Sky and Virgin

BT, SKY and Virgin broadband customers are about to get a major boost if they've been using BT's Whole Home Wi-Fi set-up, which is about to get a swathe of new features in a bid to take on rival, Google Wifi.

BT Broadband BOOST: Wifi update introduces amazing new features - even for Sky and Virgin

BT has announced that they are adding some new bonus features to their incredibly popular Whole Home WiFi booster.

The system, launched early last year, consists of three circular broadband boosters which should be enough to fill most family homes with a fast and reliable signal.

The problem, as many will have noticed at home, is that even with the very best broadband beaming into your home, your singular router can often not be enough, struggling to broadcast a wi-fi signal to where it’s needed.

That's where these clever boosters come in and they're about to get even better.

The UK telecoms giant is introducing some clever extras to the Whole Home app including the ability to control when certain devices can get online and also the option to add a guest network.

Admittedly, these are features which have long been available on Google's own Wifi booster, but, BT is now looking to dominate the market with this nifty improvements.

Erik Raphael, director of BT Wi-Fi, Devices and BT Shop, said: “These updates make life easier for our customers. Being able to control wi-fi access at mealtimes and bedtimes is great for family life and even your friend can benefit from a separate guest network that’s easy to access.”

Best Broadband deals right now

IF YOU'RE broadband is costing a fortune take a look at these deals from Sky, BT, Virgin, TalkTalk and PlusNet

1 / 10

One of the main features being touted by BT is the option to set time limits for how long certain devices can stay connected to the internet.

This effectively means you can also restrict children to the amount of time they get online at home.

That's just one feature though, because you can also use something neat called smart scheduling.

The smart scheduling feature allows users from the app to restrict internet access at bedtimes. You'll even be able to customise when you want this feature to kick in.

So you could set it for the whole week, or vary the time settings day by day.

For instance, you could programme the wifi to pause at 9pm when you want your kids to stop playing on the PS4 or Xbox and then not come back online until the next morning at 8am.

You can even set different bedtime schedules for different users in the house.

One of the cleverest new features with this update also allows you to create a unique guest Wi-Fi network.

This way, you can keep any devices and content you have on your personal wi-fi completely secure in the knowledge that your visitors are using a completely independent network.

You could argue that such a system might be ideal for anyone looking to enable WIFI access in a hotels, restaurants, pubs or any other public facing space - without compromising your own wifi network.

You can also schedule access to the guest network so that it’s only available at certain times of the day and you can also block any devices you don’t recognise.

BT Whole Home Wi-Fi

Internet from the loft to the cellar. And every room in-between. Superfast, super-reliable Wi-Fi for every room. Whole Home Wi-Fi puts what matters most at your fingertips. It talks to all your gadgets to make sure they’re always automatically connected to the fastest and strongest signal. And it’s bristling with brilliant controls that put you in charge of a supercharged home network. This is Wi-Fi at its finest.

1 / 8

Star Tech had the chance to review the BT Whole Home Wi-Fi and was mightly impressed.

It was incredibly simple to set up out of the box, but we had the system up and running in under 10 minutes.

Overall, it was a super reliable way to fill your home with broadband, especially in those areas like the attic or basement that leave blackspots.

Our biggest problem, ironically, was the lack of features, especially those already found on Google's Wifi competitor.

But thanks to this update, we're even more convinced by the BT Whole Home Wi-Fi setup.

And best of all, the Whole Home system works with most rival suppliers, including Virgin Media and Sky, so you don’t need to get BT broadband installed to use it.